A British year
by pathtales
Summary: The international magical education act was established to allow sixth years the opportunity to study abroad at a school of their choice. Now it is Alria Mubarak's turn to learn about her mother's home of hogwarts. "I'm James Potter, don't let me over whelm you." It was going to be a long year...


Alria was officially frustrated. Blowing the loose strands of hair from her face, she huffed in defeat.

This was suppose to be the year! She was finally entering her sixth year and she had gotten her first choice: hogwarts! The international magical education and cooperation act had passed the year she was born stating all sixth year students would spend a year in a school in a different country to learn about the different cultures and promote international friendliness.

Hogwarts was the only place she wanted to go. While her father had gone to the Cairo Academy of sorcery in Egypt, and many of her cousins did go, as well as the Institute of New Delhi, she wanted to go where her mother had gone in England.

After the second Great War, her mother's side had moved to the Unites States. Her father, born in Egypt but raised in the US, was the famous Ajay Mubarak, a legendary chaser for the US quidditch team. She her Indian and Egytian relatives, she even knew her mother's friends from England, but she herself had never been.

And now, after being laughed at by four people, she was certain there was no such thing as -

"Come on, platform 9 3/4's is this way!" Came an excited voice. Alria whipped around quickly to see a gaggle of red heads, and a few other hair colors, walking quickly.

"Excuse me, did you say platform 9 and 3/4's?" She asked hopefully. They all stopped and stared at the stared at the strange new girl with bright neon blue hair.

"Sixth year?" A kindly woman asked.

"Yeah, American." Alria nodded. Duh, they could tell from her accent.

"Just straight through the wall like my inconsiderate brothers." A little red-head said. Alria had noticed the two boys bounding through.

"Um... Ok?" She said. The girl laughed and took her hand.

"Your stuff is transported like usual to the school?" She asked with a gleam. All Alria could do was nod before she was dragged through the brick wall.

"ibn el ahba!" She screamed.

"What?" The red head laughed. "Here we are! I'm Lily by the way."

"Alria." She replied dryly. The younger girl could only laugh again.

"Sorry, I always wanted to do that." She blushed. "My idiot brother did it to me my first time."

"Eh, it was kind of fun." She grinned back.

"Oh, I like her." Came a thick French accent. "Hey Lil's, whose blue hair here? Love it by the way!"

"I'm Alria." She grinned at the new girl.

"Dominque, or just Dom." She smiled. "I'm Lily's cousin."

"And a cheater!" Lily laughed. "She's a sixth year too, but from France. But she loves in England!l

"Yeah, but I've never been to hogwarts and my older sister and brother went!" She whinnied.

"You chose to go to your mom's school." Lily laughed.

"Actually this is my mom's school." Alria interjected with a smile. They had been walking and talking and found their way into an empty compartment.

"Really?" Lily asked, liking getting to know a new friend.

"Yep, she was Ravenclaw." Alria nodded. " she was also a fighter in the final battle there."

"Oh." Lilly suddenly got quiet, but Dom smiled.

"Same!" She said pretending not to notice her younger cousin's shaking head. "My parents werent huge, but Lily's were! Her father is-"

"Harry potter." Lily glared. The fifth year hated telling new people that, but she wouldn't let Dom have the satisfaction. Most people tended to treat her differently.

"Oh, cool." Alria nodded. The two other girls looked hat her in disbelief, Dom happily and Lily confused.

"That's it?" Lily asked and Alria shrugged.

"Yeah." Alria shrugged again. "I may not have a hero for a parent, but I know about having a quidditch star." Of course being a fan on England so much Alria knew who Gibby Weasley was.

"Really?" Lily looked doubtfully.

"Yeah, my dad's Ajay Mubarak." She rolled her eyes.

"No way!" Both girls shrieked before blushing.

"So you totally get it." Lily finally said.

"Yep." Alria nodded in understanding. The three new friends simply smiled together until the compartment door slammed open and three handsome guys walked in.

"Hey Lils!" The black haired one grinned, turning to Alria. "Who's this?"

"Alria Mubarak!" Came the shout from the red-headed boy.

"Fred Weasley!" Alria smiled widely hugging her friend. "I thought we were going I meet up in the great hall after diner?!"

"Well that's before you sat with my cousins." He grinned.

"Oh, is this the American chick you told us about?" The blond asked. "She doesn't look American."

"Why, because I'm not blond or fat or fake?" She scowled at the sterotype. The guy only winced.

"Ignore Graham." James laughed. "I'm James Potter by the way. Nice to finally meet you! You were a councilor at the junior quidditch World Cup camp, right?"

"Yep, one of the Keeper instructors." She nodded shaking his hand. "We worked a lot with the Chasers and Beaters."

"Yeah, I was a seeker instructor." James grinned.

"And Graham and I were too busy to care." Came a laugh from the door as a brunette walked in. "Jordan Bradley." He smiled.

"Alria Mubarak." She smiled back.

"She's the awesome American!" Freddy grinned.

"Oh, nice to meet you then." H dead panned. "I thought you were only an average American."

Everyone groaned.

"Don't." Was all James said as an explanation.

"You don't look European." He declared. "Arabic?"

"Egyptian and Indian." She eyes him.

"I was close!" He grinned. "Sorry, I love learning about other cultures."

"And making us learn with him." Freddy groaned. "I will never forgive you!"

Dom and Lily laughed as the boys all glared, Jordan blushing.

"It's not funny!" James glared. "We were convinced to go to Korea! They are WERID! That k-pop stuff is catchy though..."

"Oh I love K-pop!" Alria laughed. "My best friend got me into to whole K-wave!"

"Well Bradley has a new friend." Graham deadpanned. They all laughed in response.

The rest of the train ride was spent talking and laughing until Lily let out a shriek several hours later.

"Oh no!" She stood up. "I forgot I change!"

"Me too!" Dom realized. They quickly grabbed small bags and raced to the bathroom.

"Change for what?" Alria asked.

"School robes." James indicated to his own the boys were wearing.

"Oh, we don't have uniforms at the Academy." She laughed.

"The academy?" They asked. They only knew about the Salem Institute.

"Yeah, the New Orleans Academy of Voodoo." She shrugged.

"Never heard of it." Bradley said with surprise.

"It's pretty small and you can only go after your third year at the institute." She shrugged. "There are several small schools with specialized programs. Salem is so big it houses most of them, but the Academy is for magical creature studies."

"Oh, that's cool!" James grinned. "I want to be a dragon trainer like my uncle Charlie!"

"Sweet!" Alria grinned. She knew she would certainly like this year.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

ibn el ahba: son of a bitch


End file.
